Windsor's NextStar Energy has been named the 2025 Co-op Employer of the Year by the University of Windsor.
The award recognizes an employer who has made a significant and lasting impact on the University of Windsor student community by providing engaging work terms within a dynamic, innovative, and supportive environment.
NextStar Energy's co-operative education program is focused on expanding and developing Windsor's workforce by preparing students for specialized jobs in the growing battery manufacturing sector.
Chief Operating Officer of NextStar Energy Brett Hillock says these co-op students are vital to their success in the future.
"From day one when we started the company, we joined that partnership with the University of Windsor, and we really wanted to build a pipeline, a bench of our future top talent, and really focus on a conversion rate where we could hire them full time when they graduate and already have that experience within our company," he says.
Since 2024, NextStar Energy has had over 80 co-op students.
The company says that several students have returned for more terms, and three have been hired full-time since graduating. The company will begin its 7th cohort of co-op students in May, welcoming 41 new students for the summer term.
Hillock says the university co-op students are an extension of the organization, with 19 different teams with co-op placements ranging from logistics to human resources and engineering.
"The experiences that they're bringing to us, a fresh perspective, are definitely adding a ton of value to our organization," he says. "Then we're also giving that bi-directional value to them to get them ready for their future."
The 4.23 million-square-foot facility located just off the E.C. Row Expressway and Banwell Road currently employs over 1,300 people, with a long-term target of 2,500 employees as it scales to full production at the $5 billion plant.
Hillock says six other universities have joined in this journey along with the University of Windsor.
"We just see tremendous results, and without these partnerships, we wouldn't be where we are today. We're really looking to our long-term growth strategy. We have future top talent that will lead this company in the last year or two," he says.
Krista Ammonite, Continuous Improvement Manager at NextStar Energy, was also named Outstanding Supervisor by the university for the 2025 winter term. She is recognized for outstanding leadership in mentoring the next generation of talent and her dedication to hands-on learning.
"What's stood out to us is how quickly NextStar Energy has embraced co-op as a true partnership," said Kerri Zold, Manager of Co-operative Education & Workplace Partnerships at the University of Windsor. "In a relatively short amount of time, they've grown their involvement with our programs and consistently provided students with meaningful work, strong mentorship, and a genuinely welcoming environment. Their commitment to developing co-op talent speaks volumes about how they value learning and the future workforce. We're really proud to work with them and to recognize the positive impact they're having on our students."
NextStar was established in 2022 as a joint venture by Stellantis and LG Energy Solution to build Canada's first large-scale electric vehicle battery manufacturing facility, but on February 6, 2026, Stellantis announced it was selling its 49 per cent equity stake in the plant to LG Energy Solution.
The decision came after NextStar Energy announced in November 2025 that it was moving to produce energy storage system batteries to support commercial and grid-scale energy storage solutions, a move described as "responding and adapting to changing markets."